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What We Learned About The Last Jedi At D23

The Live-Action panel at D23 provided enough teases and surprises to keep fans talking for the next two years, but one behind the scenes look teased more than the rest. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi dropped a sizzle reel that, quite frankly, sizzled. We've already broken down some the biggest reveals from the reel, but here's what the footage - and the panel itself - revealed about The Last Jedi. While still shrouding the film in mystery, the panel was an enlightening look at the upcoming film, while still teasing a huge amount of new and exciting information. Not to mention, it managed to confirm several exciting leaks, which only increase the hype levels for the film. Here are the biggest reveals, teases, and leaks to come out of the panel.

A Unique Take On the Universe

The biggest thing emphasized by the cast and crew both during the panel and in the behind the scenes reel was the film's unexpected plot. This is not to say the film was getting bad reviews from it's stars, but they all focused on the fact the film would go against what audiences were expecting. But as Mark Hamill said, "unexpected is good" in a Star Wars film. And even with the amount of information we have about the film — which is more than we had about The Force Awakens — the characters' journeys will no doubt be surprising to both die-hard devotees and casual fans alike. It remains to be seen what exactly those surprises will center on. After all, we still don't know who Rey's (Daisy Ridley) parents are, or what the ultimate fate of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) will be, or whether or not Finn (John Boyega) is as Force sensitive as the marketing for the first film made him seem to be. Rian Johnson has mastered the art of teasing audiences with just enough information.

Creative Critters

Another element highlighted in the behind- the-scenes reel were the new aliens and creatures in the film. We got our first glimpse at the space horse first spotted in set photos from 2016's shoot in Dubrovnik, as well as a white fox-like creature. But the cutest and most exciting creature spotted were the porgs, little Ewok-esque bird creatures that leaks have said will be on Luke's island of Ahch-To. These birds will no doubt be fan favorites, given their adorably big eyes and generally cute disposition. What remains to be seen is whether they are the only other inhabitants of Luke's island. Maybe they're not alone? After all, some rumors have pointed to there being a sea monster than resides in Ahch-To's oceans, and we do see shots of Rey diving into the water in the BTS reel. That one, however, we will probably have to wait until December to see.

Lego Leaks Somewhat Confirmed and a Shippy Reunion Promised

One of the biggest potential leak dumps was a Lego set of Rey and Poe (Oscar Isaac) battling a First Order Walker on Crait. Rey was dressed in a new costume with her hair down, and Poe was wearing a new jacket. The costume changes and locations were both confirmed by the behind the scenes reel as well as photos shown at D23 during the panel. Rey and Chewie will eventually leave Ahch-To, later in the film judging by Rey's costume, and since Crait is looking to be the location of the third act's huge battle, it's likely that that is where she is heading.

Fans of the Finn/Rey ship can celebrate — the two heroes will reunite in the film as evidenced by the behind the scenes reel. We see a glimpse of Boyega and Ridley behind the scenes on Crait in costume — Finn is wearing the pants from his First Order infiltration — which means that Finn and Rey fans won't have to wait until Episode IX for the pair to come back together. What this means for their potential romance remains to be seen. Johnson's comments about how he didn't feel like he could fit a central romance into the film could be tied to the fact that Finn and Rey couldn't reunite until late in the game. However, it's anyone's guess whether Finn will romance Rey or Rose; after all, they're the most likely pairings for the film.